HIDDEN MOTIVES - Episode 6

“She’s cheating on me…”

That was the first thing he said, startling him.
He invited him inside and he sat down, it was obvious that Silaz was emotionally drained.
“…. she is cheating, my wife is having extra marital affair….” Silaz said again as he stare at nothing and held his two sweaty palms together.

This wasn’t what Jerome expected, he was speechless and did not know what to say or how to comfort a broken Silaz.

Silaz bite his lips hard to keep steady but he couldn’t just stay still.
“Oh God, she’s cheating on me… she’s cheating…”
He repeated again and stood.
He walked to the dinning table and retuned back to sit.
Silaz was acting all crazy and that was what scares Jerome.
He couldn’t offer any consolating word to a hurting Silaz

“Are…you sure, are you very certain of that…” Jerome managed to say

“No, no I’m not. But I’m 40 percent close to finding out the truth…”

“What made you think Lucinda is cheating? I mean is obvious she loves and adore you… why will you think she is cheating…?

“I also had doubts before but is gradually becoming obvious Jerome. I’m not stupid or blind…”
Jerome didn’t say anything. Deep down he was scared but try as hard as possible not to make it obvious.

“…I’m sorry for my earlier reaction. This whole thing is making me furious…is seriously getting me worked up. I confronted her this morning and she is denying it. She turned it into a fight… saying I don’t trust her…”

He gasped out gently and went mute.

“Is it because of the car that…” Jerome was about asking and Silaz quickly interrupted.

“,No… not the car Jerome. She told me that there was a competition at work and she was among the people that sort out this particular client needs and this rich client sent in three cars and she happens to get one while other staffs got theirs. I wanted to come and confirm from you because she said that I can also ask you but I choose to believe her. That car is too expensive when I properly checked it out…is expensive Jerome and that client must be on money to have gotten her such car, it robbed me off the surprise I was cooking for her birthday. I know the kind of car I intend getting for her wasn’t up to what she got as gift but it would have been close. That is not my major worries or my reason for coming to you..”

Jerome swallowed hard, waiting for him
to spill more.
“…I want to know if there’s anyone in your office hitting on my wife? And … please don’t try to sugar coat it for me, ever since we moved into this compound you have practically become part of us, a brother and friend. I welcomed you in my home without worries…I trust you Jerome and that was why I allowed my wife to come work for you so if there’s anything you notice that will be harmful to my marriage I know you won’t keep it away from us. You maybe single waiting to find the right lady to spend the rest of your life with but you’re sensible, hardworking and upright. You’re not like my former neighbor that was practically asking my wife out shamelessly. That’s one of the reasons I had to move to somewhere safer and better for us, the first time I saw you, I thought you will be a threat but along the line you cleared my doubts. I entrusted my wife to your care so I believe you will be looking out for her and making her a dangerous zone for any trespassers. So, I ask again…is there something you want me to know, anyone at all hitting on my wife that’s making her misbehave, please tell me Jerome…”

“Uhmmm, Silaz I still haven’t understand what made you think she maybe cheating. Why not trust her like always…if Lucinda said she is not seeing another man then she’s not. I trust her enough to give her one of the sensitive position in my office and she have always deliver it. She adores you Silaz… she never stops singing your praises so I don’t see any reason why you should suddenly start developing doubts over your wife…”

Silaz became quiet. Jerome thought his words had gotten to him.
“Watch out for me man, check if there’s any man hitting on her, it could even be a client… maybe the one that got the car for her….I don’t know but what I’m certain is that my wife changed from the woman I used to know few months after starting work in your company. She is denying it but I know what I’m saying. Please, do this for me Jerome, I want to know who he is…I really want to know before she drives me insane…”

Jerome decided to throw a rhetorical question
“I’m not saying your assumption are right, they are definitely not but what if at the end of the day there’s a man…I mean Lucinda, your wife has a man seriously hitting on her what will you do?

“I will try to get back my woman but if in the process she is not ready to act like a married woman then I will let her be. It will really hurt but for how long will I be fighting over a woman that’s not ready to respect me as her husband. I can’t tell until then, I really need you to do this for me…”

“Alright Silaz, I will put eyes down. If I find out anything, I will definitely let you know. Anything for you man…”

Silaz thanked him and Left.

A week later, he came and asked him if there’s any news Jerome said he haven’t seen anything yet. That he was still on the lookout.

Jerome continue his hide and seek relationship with Lucinda while deceiving the husband.
He takes Lucinda out for shopping, buys expensive jewelries for her.

Silaz informed Jerome that he will be traveling for three weeks, he asked him to please lookout for him while he’s gone.
He asked Jerome to call him if he sees the wife with anyone.
He sense the wife is still seeing the person but he wants evidence.
Maybe to catch them in the act.
Jerome assured him that he will.

Unknown to them that Silaz, spent only a week. He didn’t call to inform the wife that he was coming back.

Getting home, Silaz saw the wife’s car and knew she was around.
He got inside their house with a spare key after knocking for a while with no response.
But Lucinda was not inside.

Silaz walked straight to Jerome’s door and started knocking.

Lucinda was relaxing on Jerome’s chest, right in his room when they heard a knock.

They ordered food online and thought is the deliveryman that was knocking.

Jerome kissed Lucinda and told her he was going to get the food from the person at the door, he will be right back.

Lucinda smiled, relaxed back while waiting for Jerome to come back to the room.

Unknown to her that her husband was at the door.